Trojans Fall to Southern Miss in Five Sets

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After taking the first two sets of the match, Little Rock volleyball came up short as Southern Miss took the final three sets to win 3-2 (26-24, 25-23, 23-25, 25-27, 6-15) on Saturday afternoon at Reed Green Coliseum.
 
Freshman Mya Robinson led the Trojans (1-2) with a season-high 15 kills and a .406 hitting percentage. Her kill total was the most by a Trojan freshman since Edina Begic in 2011. Marina Avram tallied her first double-double of the season with 13 kills, 13 digs and two aces. Veronica Marin hit a match-high .500 with 12 kills on 24 attempts. She also put up a match-high six blocks (three solos and three assisted). Maritza Mesa led Little Rock with four aces while coming up one kill shy of a double-double with nine kills and 10 digs. Taylor Lindberg racked up 52 assists, three kills, seven digs and three block assists.
 
For her efforts throughout the invitational, Marin was named to the All-Tournament team. She ended the weekend with 30 kills (2.50 per set), a .444 hitting percentage and 18 total blocks (seven solo and 11 assisted) at a rate of 1.50 per set.
 
Catherine Respher led the Golden Eagles (2-1) with 18 kills and a .400 hitting percentage. Sarah Bell tallied 54 assists while Kylie Grandy served up five aces. Defensively, Natalie Druhan had 25 digs and Respher added three blocks.
 
The Trojans put together a magnificent comeback win in the first set to take a 1-0 lead for the match. Down 18-10, Little Rock scored 16 of the last 22 points in the frame. As Southern Miss took set point at 24-22, the Trojans responded with four consecutive points to win the set. Little Rock had the advantage in hitting (.355-.222) and total blocks (4-0). Mesa and Marin each put down four kills while Marin added three blocks. Lindberg racked up 11 assists for the frame.
 
Little Rock and Southern Miss remained within three points of each other for the entirety of the second set. The Trojans took set point at 24-21, but the Golden Eagles weren't going down without a fight as they scored back-to-back points to get within one. Southern Miss's comeback was short-lived as a kill by Marin put the set away and gave Little Rock a 2-0 lead. The Trojans once again outhit the Golden Eagles (.303-.235) as Avram put down five kills while Lindberg tallied 14 assists. Defensively, Martin scooped up six digs, and Marin added two blocks.
 
Southern Miss took the third set after leading for the majority of the frame. Little Rock's largest deficit was six points at 16-10, but the Trojans battled back to tie the set at 23. Back-to-back kills by the Golden Eagles' Respher and Coombs gave Southern Miss its first set win. Robinson led the Trojans with five kills while Lindberg added 11 more assists. Like the second set, Martin dug up another six digs.
 
Little Rock was up by as much as six points in the fourth set until the Southern Miss closed the gap at 15-all. With the Trojans up 23-20, the Golden Eagles put together a four-point run to take set point. Both sides exchanged blows until Southern Miss took the frame with back-to-back points. Robinson led the Trojans with four kills while Lindberg added another 11 assists.
 
With two consecutive set wins under its belt, Southern Miss carried the momentum into the fifth set and took the frame by nine points to win the match.
 
Daisha Gillard put down seven kills and put up three block assists. Jovana Cernjanski had three digs and one service ace.
 
Little Rock will return to action on Thursday night at Central Arkansas as part of the UCA Invitational.